Door buffer



Nov; 2 1926. 1,605,211.

J. H. BOURGON DOOR BUFFER Filed June 14 1924 INVENTOR ATTORNEY JOSEPH H.BOURGON Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. BOURGON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASS IGNOR TO THE STUDEBAKER COR- PORATION, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

noon BUFFER. I

Application filed June 14, 1924. Serial No. 720,101.

5 confined in a housing and adapted to cooperate with a. non-resilient female member, the roller being loosely confined in said housing when not in engagement with the fe male member.

The above being among the objects of the present invention, the'same consists of certain features of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the drawing, which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the present invention, and in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the different views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of part of an automobile, showing the manner of mounting the dove-tail embodying the present invention thereon.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of that part of the door striker plate in which the female member of the dovetail is formed.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the assembled male member of the dove-tail.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the male and female members of the dovetail in operative position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the housing of the male member only.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the metallic ring of the male member. V

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the rubber plug of the male member.

Figure 8 is a section taken in a vertical plane through the members in operative position as shown in Figure 4;.

'As understood by those familiar with this art, door dove-tails are used for preventing vertical movement of the free edge of a doorin relation to the co-operating door frame, and comprise essentially a male andfemale member. One of the members is secured to the free edge of the door and the other is secured to the co-operating door frame member, and are such that when the door is closed the male member fits into or co-operates with the female member and thereby prevents vertical movement of one in respect to the other.

Although it is immaterial in the present invention which member is secured to the door or door frame, I have shown in the drawing the female member 9 on the door frame 10, it being formed integral with the door striker plate member 11 which may be of cast construction and adapted to extend substantially the full length of that side of the door frame 10, and which also serves to provide a striker plate 12 for the door lock 13. The female member 9 formed in the door striker plate member 11 is composed only of the walls surrounding the recess 9 in the member 11,- the recess opening out on the side adjacent the free edge of the door 14 and also on the outside face of the member 11. The upper and lower walls of the recess converge slightly towards the in nerend and the outside corners are rounded ofi? to guide the male member thereinto when the door 14 is swung'into closed position.v

The male member is secured to the free edge of the door let in such-a manner as to co-operate with the female member 9 and is composed of a casing member, a split metallic ring 15, and rubber plug or roller 16. The casing member is composed of a flat plate portion 17 provided with two perpendicularly extending arms 18 connected across their projecting ends by a web 19. A circular, opening 20 extends through the plate 17 between the arms 18, and the inside faces of the latter are formed to a shape corresponding with the sides of the opening 20, that is to say, formed to the shape that would result if a reamer were passed through the opening 20 from the back of the plate 17 up to the web 19, removing metal fr-om about the edge of the opening 20 and the inside faces of the arms 18. The rubber plug 16 which is of slightly larger diameter than the inside diameter of the split ring 15, is inserted in the latter, causing the same to expand slightly and hold the plug 16 therein. The outside diamlOf) eter of the split ring 15 thus expanded by the rubber plug 16 is preferably of slightly less diameter than the diameter of the opening 20 and is adapted to be inserted in the opening 20 and confined therein and between the arms 18. and is of slightly less length than the distance from tiievinside face of the web 19 to the rear face of the plate 17, so that normally the ring 15 and plug 16 form a loosely mounted roller confinedwithin the armslS and which'projects a substantial amount above andbelow the upper andlower edges of the arms 18. The split ring 15 isthcrefore free to rotate between the arms 18 when not in operative engagement with the female nember 9 whose upper and lower faces are spaced a less distance apartthan thenormal diameter of the split ring15.

The plate 17 is secured to the freeedge of the door 1-1 by screws 21 or hyother suitable means in such a position that the ring 15 will enter the female member 9. The plate 17 is preferably set into the free edge of the door 15 so thatthefront face of the plate 17 is flush with the edge of the door. As before stated, the normal diameter of the'ring 15 is greater than the vertical distance between the upper and lower faces of the'recess forming the female member 9, and'when the door 14 is swung into closed position the ring 15 is forced into the female member and is distorted or flattened thereby, causing'it to increasein width and firmly grip the innor curved faces of the arms 18. The rubber plug 16 has the effect of giving body or resistance to the distortion of the ring 15, and when the latter is distorted as described when forced into the female member-'9, it is prevented from vertical movement in relation to the door 14 by reason of engaging the inner curved faces of the arms 18 and is also held from vertical noveinentin relation to the door frame member 10 byits'engagement with the female member 9, and thus prevents any vertical movement of the free edge of the door 14 in relation to the door frame member 10 when the door 1 1 is in closed position.

Although the female member is shown incorporated as part of the striker plate member 11 it is evident that it is immaterial whether it is formed in the manner shown or is composed of a piece entirely separate and distinct by itself as in most of the conventional constructions and I do-not limit my invention to the construction shown.

An important advantage of the construction shown is that the ring 15 is loosely mounted in its support and is free to rotate when not in operative engagement with the female member 9, and inasmuch as it is commercially impossible to so correctly hang the doors that the dove-tail members'will exactly match each other when the door is 'male member will be distributed over its cuthereby causing a slight rota y movement the ring 15, with the result that the wear on the ring caused by its contact with the tire surface and will not be limited to a particular-spotns in the majority of con. .2 tional constructions.

It is evident that the dove-tail c herein is of a simple, effective cc and one that is relatively econo bi1ild,'also the ring and rubber pin readily be replaced should the same become bodiment' of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is 1. A door dove-tail comprising a nonresilient member having a recess formed therein and a second member, said second member comprising a casing, and a resilient roller loosely mounted within the casing and projecting aboveand below the same'to engage the side walls of the said recess.

2. In a device of the class described, cooperatingmembers comprising a male member having a frame and a resilient roller loosely mounted therein and projecting above and below the walls of said frame and a female member provided with a recess having non-resilient walls to receive said roller, said roller on engagement with said walls of said recess being expanded in one direction to engage said frame.

3. In a door dove-tail, a female member provided with a recess having non-resilient walls, a male membervprovided with a resilient member normally loosely confined between two arms and projecting above and below the same, said resilient member being compressed between the walls of said recess and expanded into close contact with said arms when in engagement with said recess.

4. In a device of the class described, a

pair of members comprising a door and a door frame, a member provided with a recess secured to one of the first mentioned members, and a member secured to the other of said first mentioned members, said last named nember providing a cage for loosely confining a resilient part, said part being adapted to be distorted upon engagement of said last named members whereby said mem in be here are held from movement relative to each other.

5.,In an automobile body having a door and a door frame, a member having a recess therein secured to one of said parts, a plate having a plurality of arms connected across their ends secured to the other of said parts, a resilient rOller confined within said arms and projecting outwardly therefrom, said recess having non-resilient walls to receive said roller and distort the same into contactwith said arms.

6. In a vehicle body having a door and a door frame, a platehaving a plurality of curved arms connected across their ends secured to said door, an opening in said plate correspondlng to the distance between sald curved arms, a resilient membermounted in said plate and retained therein by said opening and said arms, and a member mounted on said door frame and provided with arecess therein having non-resilient walls positioned to receive said resilient member and distort the same into frictional contact with said curved arms.

7. In a device of the class described, cooperating members comprising a male member having a frame and a resilient roller loosely mounted therein and free to revolve, and a female member provided with a recess adapted to receive said roller, said roller upon operative engagement with said recess being expanded into direct engagement with said frame and thereby locked against further rotative movement.

Signed by me at Detroit, Michigan, U. S.

A., this 5thday of June 1924.

JOSEPH H. 'BOUB-GON. 

